I downsized my yarn ... and still have too much!

If you remember, I'm downsizing the possessions of four people from a 5-bedroom house to a 32-foot travel trailer. I knew my yarn stash was going to have to go down drastically, and I finally worked up the courage to do it over the course of the last few days.

This is what I got rid of in regular manufactured yarns. In my defense (and lest you think I'm wasting TONS of money), a lot of this was donated to me.

This is what I got rid of in my recycled yarns (mostly natural fibers unraveled from thrift store sweaters).

When I got done, I felt like I had accomplished something ... Until I realized that I still have six large space bags full of yarn. They're all my favorites, but I just can't justify the space it will take up. I'm going to have to go through it again and make some hard decisions.

I just thought I'd share to keep things real. Some people make it sound so glamorous and fun to downsize to so few possessions. I do look forward to the simplicity of downsizing, but there are some hard decisions to be made along the way.

Easy DIY "Sleevies" (Sleeve Extenders)

I wear my sleeves below my elbows, and it's not always easy to find shirts with sleeves in the right length. My sister-in-law told me about sleeve extenders they make for guys (especially in athletic fabrics, although I'm not sure why). But I wanted a girly version that would work with my casual and dressy clothes. I was puzzling over this last summer when an easy solution came to me - try girls' leggings!

I've been using these for a year now, and I love them just as much as - if not more than - when I started. I've had numerous requests for a tutorial, so here you go ...

The first thing you'll need is a pair of girls' leggings. These are the kind I'm talking about - the footless, jersey-knit kind, not footed tights. You don't need lace trim, but it's a pretty touch. I found these at the thrift store.

Before you buy them, slide them over your arm to make sure they're going to be a good fit. (You might get some strange looks, so I recommend shopping for these on a day when the store isn't very busy.) You want them to be tight enough to stay put but not so tight that they're uncomfortable.

Everyone should be able to find a size to fit them. I have very small, child-sized arms. These fit me well, and they're a toddler size. If you have very large arms, you may want to try ladies' sizes.

This is all you have to do: Cut them at the very top of the leg. You're done!! Wasn't that easy?

You can adjust the length of the "sleevies" to suit your particular tastes, if you want them a little shorter. Capri-length leggings are good for shorter "sleevies," too. If they're too big at the top, you can always take the seam in a bit with a sewing machine, but I haven't had to do it to any of mine yet.

To use them, simply slide them over your arms before you put your short-sleeved shirt/dress/sweater on. Adjust them to the desired length on your arm and then put the outer layer on. No one will ever know!

The blog got a new look!

Ever since I sold all my vintage sheets, I've been thinking about re-doing my blog. Well, I finally took the time to do it, and I think I have all the "bugs" worked out. If you find broken links or any problems, please let me know (using that little envelope feature to the right).

This is a drastically different look, but I like it and I think it works for a non-vintage-sheets approach to blogging. Again, I won't be changing my blog themes or topics, but our move to full-time RVing will certainly affect the kinds of projects I tackle and write about. I hope you stay on and enjoy the ride (pun intended)!

Our tow vehicle

We began the search for our tow vehicle by looking at trucks. That's all we had ever seen pulling campers, so we thought you had to have a truck. But if you've priced extended-cab trucks capable of pulling a camper recently, you might understand the sticker shock we got.

A knowledgeable family friend finally thought to ask why we wanted a truck. I'm sure the look on our faces said it all - Didn't we need a truck to pull a camper?? He informed us that a Suburban was every bit as capable, if you got the right one. And so the search began.

A few weeks later we bought our Suburban 2500 from John the Baptist. (I'm only partly joking. The man's first name was John, and he is a Baptist. You just have to understand pastor humor around here.) ;)

It's a well-kept beauty that was within our price range. In short, it was nothing short of a miracle! And my dream of purchasing our next vehicle with cash came true. YAY!!

Let me show you our "new" home!

I thought I'd introduce you to our travel trailer.

Here's what she looks like outside with the slide out:

This is a good, concise view of most of the inside, which I showed you in my last post:

That's the master bedroom you see at the end. There is a folding partition for privacy at night, but it unfolds in the daytime to make a LOT more visual space in the trailer. Little things can make a BIG difference!

Here are the bunks you can't see in that picture (because they're behind the camera):

These bunks are the same length as twin-sized beds, but 9" narrower in the width. Both of my kids are thin, so I don't anticipate this being a problem. There is another folding partition here, if we want to section it off from the living area at night or before the kids get up in the morning ... or just to extend the size of the bathroom area when no one is sleeping.

As you come in the door, the couch is right in front of you. The upholstery doesn't look like anything special in the pictures, but it is in brand-new condition, so I'm not planning to re-upholster anytime soon.

The seat part flips up to store things underneath. Those throw pillows are gone.

Next to the couch is the built-in dinette. These are both part of the super slide.

There is storage space under each of the booth seats, too.

The kitchen area is on the other side of the trailer by the couch and dinette.

For a travel trailer this size, the kitchen area is impressive!

 In the back of the travel trailer, there are the bunks (already shown) and a small but serviceable bathroom:

The shower is about half as long as a traditional shower, but we're not large people so it shouldn't be an issue.

No, that's not my husband in the mirror. These pictures were taken by the people who were selling it. :)

Not shown: a wardrobe closet next to the refrigerator/freezer. We were really excited about that since we will have to have our dressy clothes as well as our casual clothes.

I hope you've enjoyed a little peek at our new home!